Month: July 2019

The Challenge: There are a few issues I have with setting yearly business objectives in traditional ways. First of all, they are often incremental, even tepid. This is related to the management technique of “sandbagging,” usually related to ensuring individual bonuses are earned. The second is they can simultaneously lead to somewhere, yet nowhere. I hate “floaters” – things that have a beginning and end, yet do little to connect to a greater purpose. Furthermore, these goals can become rigid with people driving to just finish when the outcome is of little importance. Rather than consciously pivoting, because the context has changed, we stay in the rut until it ends.

So What Do I Do About It? I like setting 10x goals that are based on zooming out years ahead in the spirit of becoming hugely aspirational. This stretches out everyone big time! So then when people come back to the present and determine steps towards these big goals, the yearly work is bolder and more meaningful. It is a bad ass way of working, and a lot more fun. I challenge you to try it.

Think BIG, start small, act now.

– Lorne

One Millennial View: Who doesn’t want to have a bad ass way of thinking and approaching work and goals? I realize this is more of a challenge, but unless you’re working as a mattress salesperson, comfort shouldn’t be part of the experience.

Welcome to another Lead In With Lorne, this week we’re discussing the fight against sameness. How are we diligently different in our marketplace? If we’re really trying to 10x ourselves, why are we just attempting to emulate another company in our same market that seems to be doing things right? Oh, and in the spirit of being different, we’re coming at you from a loud, crowded airport. Fight against being the same.

What It’s About: The title above is an unfortunate statement made by France Télécom’s CEO a decade ago. This is a grim and extreme example of a company not adapting to rapidly shifting market forces, and the horrifying impact of management and culture floundering in a state of desperation. France Télécom was caught off guard by the digital revolution, and by 2005, it was over $50 million in debt. Company executives believed they needed to get rid of 22,000 out of 130,000 workers to ensure survival. The country’s law is highly restrictive relative to layoffs. Since many Télécom workers were state employees, they had lifelong job security.

For those employees the company could not fire, the executives alledgely resolved to make life so unbearable, that the workers would be forced to leave. According to the article, “at least 35 employees — workers’ advocates say nearly double that number — committed suicide, feeling trapped, betrayed and fearful of ever finding new work in France’s immobile labor market.” Seven members of top the executive team during that time period, starting with the CEO, are currently on trial for “moral harassment.” (Frankly, if allegations noted in this article are true, the actions taken are so despicable the execs should go to jail).

Why It’s Important: This happened a little more than 10 years ago. Market disruption is way more fierce and violent now, and about to become even more turbulent. It is likely that organizations, as nimble as they might be, will get caught flat-footed by a game changer. This may take the form of AI, machine learning, a whole new business model, or a myriad of combinations relative to exponential technology. Although most jurisdictions are not saddled with French employment law, and unions are now far less influential, social media can spin up outrage overnight. Boards and management must be thinking and planning for big workforce changes now, rather than finding themselves sitting in a puddle of desperation. The term “moral harassment” may evolve to cover irresponsible leadership relative to ensuring an adaptive culture!

What It’s About:Carmine Gallo is a genius on the topic of story telling. His book, “The Story Teller’s Secret” was a compulsory read for my last executive team. In this article, Gallo refers to “Vital Speeches of the Day,” an organization that distributes awards for the best speech writers and speakers who inspire their audiences. The committee of professional speechwriters who judge the submissions keep the following question top of mind: Could the speech have been delivered by any other speaker, to any other audience, at any other time in history? If the answer is “no,” then it has the makings of a fine speech.

Why It’s Important: People want authentic personal connection more than ever. And whenever we are talking to people, whether as a speaker or in a meeting, our ability to tell a story and inspire differentiates us by the added value we give. I wish I would have understood this earlier in my career. It is a practiced art. One does not have to be the CEO or even a supervisor to be a storyteller. We all can be inspiring if we give real thought to our message. Don’t waste the opportunity!

The Challenge: One of the cliches of business is: “We need to have better communication.” Who can argue with this ultimate “motherhood” statement? Still, people are weary of worn out, top down communication and management spin. They don’t typically want the polished and carefully worded “speak” from the marketing department. Frankly, when they see an executive post or email, the data says that up to 80 percent of recipients tend to discount the message at best, or ignore at worst. So what can a leaders do about it?

What I Think People Want: Streaming technology allows us to talk to people in real time from anywhere the internet is accessible. Applications like YouTube Live, Skype, Zoom, Google Meets, Microsoft Teams, and more, give us a platform to have immediate and authentic conversations. In my last organization, I would live stream on various topics with internal or external guests every Friday. It was optional for people to join the conversation, yet we would average nearly 500 people every live session. The episodes were recorded and many more watched/listened to the playback at a more convenient time. I humbly also understood that the community didn’t show up just for my guest or me. They collected on the platform because they became part of the message. The chat was every bit as important or perhaps even more significant. The online participants answered each other’s questions, virtually gave “high fives,” posted great points, editorialized, and much more. It became a communication potpourri of what was relevant to the audience.

In my new role and organization I’m going to do this even better. Every Wednesday, starting in the fall, anyone in the organization who wants to know what’s going on and/or desires to express a view is going to be invited. I expect this live stream, in its raw, open, uncluttered, transparent way, will take us all to a higher version in becoming one team. I’m going to tell it like I see it and expect the same from everyone.

Could you livestream with your teams or in your organization? Do it! It’s all upside if you’re real and don’t spin. Trust the audience. They’re worth it.

Think Big, Start Small, Act Now!

Lorne

One Millennial View: How cool is that? As mentioned above, we all have the resources to connect and have a free platform. I’m a giant fan of listening to valuable content, and if your organization can have a voice, why not let it ring with full transparency? Best of luck.

What It’s About: How has Microsoft made such a turnaround? Most pundits agree that the Redmond, WA based tech giant has made a startling comeback, and has fully reemerged in the running as the most valuable company within global stock markets, with a market capitalization above $1T. A new case study by Herminia Ibarra and Adam Jones of London Business School (LBS), claims this success has resulted from a shift away from a focus on the Windows operating system towards Azure, Microsoft’s cloud-based services. However, the turnaround also required a change to the company’s culture and that is the main subject of the LBS study. Around 40,000 people had to change how they did their jobs. Changing a corporate culture is an enormous task, including shifting from a “fixed mindset” to a “growth mindset,” and much much more.

Why It’s Important: Business burial grounds are littered with once famous tombstones; Nokia, Blackberry, Yahoo!, the list goes on and on. Board of directors will use Microsoft as an example of a company rapidly heading south, able to turn around, AND to be at the lead of the pack again. “How did they do it?” directors will ask management. And if the answer is limited to “we’ll ask McKinsey, BCG, Bain, Deloitte, etc.,” the CEO better review his or her employment contract. Leadership teams get paid to build great, sustainable cultures. Kudos to Microsoft and CEO Satya Nadella’s team. We all can be inspired and learn from this case.

What It’s About: This article refers to Virgin entrepreneur Richard Branson and other prominent business leaders publicly questioning the utility of the 9 to 5 workday, 40-hour work week. Flexible work arrangements, primarily supported by work anywhere, anytime, productivity and communications technology, are well imbedded in the better modern companies. AI, machine learning, robots etc. will replace many jobs with continuous work. No need for work breaks or labor standards.

Why It’s Important: Leaders must begin to build a foundation for completely new ways of working NOW. At minimum, people should be able to schedule their own work times and places based on the needs of those that are receiving their value, NOT because of supervisor overwatch from misguided managers who remain clinging to control by seeing people strapped to their cubicles. As work gets replaced by technology, organizations need to massively require and support upskilling and/or reskilling NOW. If Lexus can run a major TV ad based on a script completely written by AI, how long until we use AI to scale teaching? Avatars as personalized tutors? Or Private Bankers? Before long, 9 to 5 will be considered a relic of an industrial era well passed.